Thursday, August 3, 2017

1,459 Killed, 636 Wounded In Iraq July 2017

Casualties and security incidents reached the lowest monthly
totals of 2017 in July due to the end of the Mosul campaign. Before, the battle
for the city was driving violence across the country. Now they will be heading
downwards until the next offensive begins.

There were 477 incidents reported in the media in July 2017.
That was the lowest monthly total for the year. The year started at 712
incidents in January, then 620 in February, 716 in March, 569 in April, 522 in
May, and 533 in June. The vast majority of incidents have been in Ninewa
province due to Mosul. Now that the battle for the city has concluded violence is
going down.

By province, there were 202 incidents in Ninewa, 103 in
Baghdad, 43 in Salahaddin, 42 in Diyala, 33 in Anbar, 28 in Kirkuk, 12 in
Babil, 5 in Basra, 3 in Kurdistan, 2 in Dohuk, 2 in Karbala, 1 in Muthanna, and
1 in Sulaymaniya. In Sulaymaniya an imam from the Kurdistan Islamic Group was
shot and killed.
A sticky bomb went off in Samawa,
Muthanna with no casualties. The western desert of Karbala saw two attacks by
the Islamic State. First, rockets
were fired, and then eight suicide bombers were killed.
These both originated from Anbar. Dohuk experienced Turkish air
strikes and shelling
targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Likewise, northeast Kurdistan was
hit by the Turkstwice,
and Iranians
aiming at their Kurdish opposition. Outside of tribal fighting there has been a
rash of shootings of civilians in Basra. Babil, Kirkuk, Anbar, Diyala,
Salahaddin, Baghdad and Ninewa are the seven main provinces beset by fighting
IS and terrorism.

Security
Incidents In Iraq By Province July 2017

Ninewa 202

Baghdad 103

Salahaddin 43

Diyala 42

Anbar 33

Kirkuk 28

Babil 12

Basra 5

Kurdistan 3

Dohuk 2

Karbala 2

Muthanna 1

Sulaymaniya 1

A total of 1,459 people were killed and 636 wounded during
the month. Those were both yearly lows. Previously, February with 1,862 deaths,
and June’s 1,135 injured were the low points in 2017. July’s dead broke down to
5 Peshmerga, 7 PKK, 67 Hashd al-Shaabi, 179 members of the Iraqi Security
Forces (ISF), and 1,201 civilians. The wounded consisted of 25 Peshmerga, 64
Hashd, 111 ISF, and 436 civilians.

Of course, Ninewa led Iraq in casualties in July with 1,385.
That was followed by 189 in Baghdad, 169 in Kirkuk, 138 in Anbar, 82 in
Salahaddin, 73 in Diyala, 37 in Babil, 10 in Kurdistan, 6 in Dohuk, 5 in Basra,
and 1 in Sulaymaniya.

Casualties
In Iraq By Province June 2017

Ninewa 1,385 (1,061 Killed, 324
Wounded)

Baghdad 189 (78 Killed, 111 Wounded)

Kirkuk 169 (141 Killed, 28 Wounded

Anbar 138 (75 Killed, 63 Wounded)

Salahaddin 82 (47 Killed, 35
Wounded0

Diyala 73 (20 Killed, 53 Wounded

Babil 37 (24 Killed, 13 Wounded)

Kurdistan 10 (7 Killed, 3 Wounded)

Dohuk 6 (6 Wounded)

Basra 5 (5 Killed)

Sulaymaniya 1 (1 Killed)

IS still holds western Anbar along the Syrian border, but
violence there has been relatively low for the last year. Since October 2016
there has only been an average of one incident per day. That compared to the
first half of 2016 when there were around 3 per day. Despite the low numbers,
the Islamic State attempted a mass casualty bombing every week. The first week
of July there were four suicide bombers, three of which were killed. The second
week had 11 suicide bombers, six who hit their target, and 5 that were shot
beforehand. The third week had nine suicide bombers, one successful, and a car
bomb was destroyed. The fourth week saw seven suicide bombers, six killed, and
five car bombs were dismantled. The last three days of the month had 1 suicide
car bomb, and four car bombs were destroyed. Those accounted for the high
casualties of 75 fatalities and 63 injured, despite just one attack per day.

Terrorism has returned to Babil. For months, there were
barely any incidents, but that has changed recently. In July, there were 12
attacks leading to 24 dead and 13 wounded, including one suicide motorcycle
bomber being killed, and two car bombs destroyed. Just as important almost all
of these attacks were occurring in the Jurf al-Nahda-Musayib area in the
northeast that used to be the militants’ base in the governorate.

Baghdad continued to see some of the lowest violence since
2003-2004. Starting in April there have been roughly three incidents per day.
That compared to most of 2016 when there were anywhere from 12-8 incidents. The
Islamic State is still launching most of its attacks from the rural towns to
the south and north of the city. There are still occasionally mass casualty
bombings, but few are successful. During the month, there were six suicide
bombers, only one of which was able to detonate his device, and five car bombs,
four of which were destroyed or dismantled.

Diyala has witnessed the greatest increase in insurgent
activity in recent months. Monthly incidents continued to go up and down, but
in June, there were an average of two per day, matching the highest mark of
2016, before going down to 1.3 in July. Most attacks are low level shootings,
15 total, or IEDs, 24. But there are larger attacks such as four successful
suicide bombers. IS has strongholds throughout the rural and mountainous
regions of the province. These are usually isolated or contain lots of small
towns, palm groves and rivers that allow the militants to avoid the security, give
them cover from aircraft, and provide them access and transportation to the
surrounding provinces. The security forces, which are controlled by Badr, carry
out continuous sweeps in Diyala, but have not had any discernable effect.

While there were occasional attacks upon the Peshmerga, the
majority of incidents in Kirkuk were against people attempting to flee the IS
controlled Hawija district. These displaced routinely run into IEDs or are shot
at by the insurgents. Otherwise there has been less than one incident per day
since December 2016. Hawija however, is the source for IS cells moving out to
the surrounding provinces of Diyala and Salahaddin.

The Mosul battle finally concluded in July 2017. Almost all
of the 202 incidents occurred in the city, although IS seized the town of Imam
al-Gharbi for two weeks, and carried out occasional hit and run attacks in the
liberated areas of Ninewa. Based upon the latest reports, a new total for
casualties in Mosul was calculated. According to the media, human rights and
United Nations reports, and Airwars, a total of 14,669 people died, and 20,614
were injured. Civilians were by far the largest victims with 13,192 dead versus
14 Hashd and 1,463 ISF, and 15,928 injured compared to 1 Coalition soldier, 16
Hashd, and 4,669 ISF. The Islamic State reportedly executed 3,078 people, while
Coalition and Iraqi artillery and air strikes were blamed for 4,911 deaths and
3,705 injured.

Salahaddin is the other province where IS is re-grouping,
but security remains stable. Since February 2017 there has only been an average
of around one incident per day. There are several mass casualty bombing attacks
per month. In July, there were nine car bombs, seven destroyed, and 16 suicide
bombers, only four were successful. Most incident however were attacks in the
Makhoul Mountains in the northeast or shootings in and around Tikrit and
Samarra.

IRAQ HISTORY TIMELINE

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About Me

Musings On Iraq was started in 2008 to explain the political, economic, security and cultural situation in Iraq via original articles and interviews. If you wish to contact me personally my email is: motown67@aol.com